UN Women Liaison Office to
the AU and UNECA

Through the Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), UN Women supports regional policy processes regarding the adoption and implementation of commitments on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Liaison Office also provides technical assistance to women’s rights advocates and networks, and facilitates their participation in regional policy processes and initiatives.

Priorities | Partnerships | Regional Initiatives | Contact Info

Priority Areas of Work

Enhancement of regional legal frameworks, policies and processes. With an emphasis on the thematic areas of economic rights, peace and security, and violence against women and girls, UN Women participates actively in the promotion and protection of the rights of women in the region, through supporting policy processes and the implementation of gender equality commitments. The activities of the Liaison Office focus on:

1. Developing a relevant body of knowledge to promote the implementation of commitments, facilitate gender mainstreaming processes, and influence the inclusion of gender perspectives in critical areas such as peace and security.
2. Strengthening the capacity of the Women, Gender and Development Directorate to effectively integrate gender perspectives in the work of the African Union Commission and other AU organs and bodies.
3. Supporting the leadership of the AU in the implementation of the regional component of the UN Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence against Women campaign — Africa UNiTE — which UN Women coordinates in partnership with UNFPA and UNECA.

Supporting the work of gender equality advocates and their regional networks. To ensure that gender equality dimensions are included in regional legal frameworks, policies and strategies, including in peace and security processes, UN Women facilitates dialogue between the African Union, as the main regional organization, and civil society organizations, gender experts and women’s rights networks. The activities of the Liaison Office focus on:

1. Strengthening the strategic capacities of civil society organizations, women’s rights networks and gender experts to advocate for gender-responsive legal frameworks, policies and processes within the African Union.
2. Creating and supporting mechanisms for advocacy and dialogue.

Partnerships

The UN Women Liaison Office works closely with the Women, Gender and Development Directorate of the African Union, and the African Center for Gender and Social Development of UNECA. A number of other agencies within and outside the United Nations system are also recognized as crucial partners, for instance through the UN Regional Coordination Mechanism. The Liaison Office collaborates with various African women’s rights networks and civil society organizations.

The Liaison Office further links the UN Women Sub-Regional Offices in Africa to the work performed at the regional level, in order to develop a coherent delivery strategy. By integrating the Sub-Regional Offices into regional initiatives and promoting mechanisms to share information, the Liaison Office strengthens the presence of UN Women in Africa and facilitates regional processes.

Ongoing Regional Initiatives

Two issues on the agenda of the African Union present important opportunities for UN Women to collaborate on core issues of women’s human rights and empowerment:

• The African Union Fund for Women: The initiative complements the African Union Gender Policy, and is part of the implementation of the AU Solemn Declaration on Gender Equality in Africa. The Fund is created to support programmes on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and is to be supported by voluntary contributions of AU Member States.
• The African Women’s Decade: Following the declaration of the African Union of 2010–2020 as a decade dedicated to African women, an extensive strategy will be developed to achieve significant advances in gender equality and women’s empowerment, based on commitments made by Member States.

Contact Information

Address
United Nations Development Fund for Women
Ericsson Building, 3rd Floor
Opposite UNECA
Addis Ababa
ETHIOPIA

Ms. Florence Butegwa
UN Women Representative to the African Union and
the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

+251 913 202 231

Ms. Tikikel Tadele
Programme Officer

+251 911 421 484

Mr. Daniel Almeida Ch-M
Programme Analyst
Communication and Advocacy Officer

+251 920 161 469